Nicola Sturgeon issues formal apology to historic victims of witchcraft allegations

Nicola Sturgeon has moved to correct an “egregious historic injustice” with a formal apology to those accused of witchcraft in Scotland.

An estimated 4000 people, most of whom were women, were accused of breaking the Witchcraft Act between the 1560s and 1730s.

Of these, many were executed. While similar purges existed across Europe, researchers say Scotland’s execution rate was five times that of the continent’s average.

Campaigners have been calling on the Scottish Government to offer a public apology in what they said would be a “powerful signal”.

Now, in a statement coinciding with International Women’s Day the First Minister has told Holyrood: “At a time when women were not even allowed to speak as witnesses in a courtroom, they were accused and killed because they were poor, different, vulnerable or in many cases just because they were women.

“It was injustice on a colossal scale, driven at least in part by misogyny in its most literal sense, hatred of women.

“Today on International Women's Day, as first minister on behalf of the Scottish Government, I am choosing to acknowledge that egregious historic injustice and extend a formal posthumous apology to all of those accused, convicted, vilified or executed under the Witchcraft Act of 1563.”

The move follows petitions from the Witches of Scotland group and a planned member’s bill by Natalie Don MSP.

Sturgeon said that parliament could decide to legislate to pardon those who were convicted under the law.